Your Favorite Halloween Candy: What You Didn’t Know

Jessica Li, Abby Davenport, Serena Krouk, Callie Crawford-Blaire, Sam Goldwert, Duc Tran, Carl Heyne, Sophia Le, Grace Salmon, Leah Pessin, Alice Zhang, Anna Masino, Cole Semel, Khalea Robinson, Joely Kaplan, and Maddie Orr • October 29, 2024

Susanna Harries

Kit Kat: Jessica Li ‘27 and Abby Davenport ‘27

“Have a break, have a Kit Kat!” This catchy slogan was first invented in 1958, twenty-three years after the candy was created. The British company Rowntree’s introduced Kit Kat as “a chocolate bar that could be consumed on the go without creating a mess.” It got its name from an exclusive 18th-century club for the elite in London. Since its release, it has grown exponentially in popularity, even becoming a precious commodity during World War 2, when it was added to soldiers’ food parcels. In Japan, Kit Kat is known for its wide variety of creative and exotic flavors. It began when it partnered with Yasumasa Takagi, an elite pastry chef, to create unique Kit Kat varieties. The chocolate became popular in Japan because of the Japanese phrase “kitto katsutoo” (きっと勝つとぉ), which means “you shall surely win.” Today, there are over 300 flavors of Kit Kat in Japan alone.

Snickers: Serena Krouk ‘28 and Callie Crawford-Blaire ‘28

The first Snickers bar was made in Chicago in the 1930s, and it was named after a horse. Each bar was originally sold for 5 cents, but now they make around $424 million a year. In 2013, they passed 1 billion dollars of sales in the US. Snickers is now owned by the large-scale candy brand Mars, which also owns Wrigley’s Gum, Dove Chocolate, and M&Ms. In 1989, Snickers created an ice cream bar.

Hershey’s bar: Sam Goldwert ‘25 and Duc Tran ‘26

Did you know that Hershey’s, the iconic chocolate brand all over the world, got its start in Philadelphia? Milton Hershey, the founder of Hershey’s Chocolate, quit school at 13 years old to start his own candy shop in Philadelphia with $150 that he borrowed from his aunt.

The Hershey name may be most associated with the amusement park, the Hershey’s Kiss, or the Hershey’s chocolate bar. However, the Hershey company owns 35 separate brands of popular candy and snacks, including Pirate’s Booty, Twizzlers, Skinny Pop, and Jolly Ranchers (check out the full list here).

Take 5: Carl Heyne’27 and Sophia Le ‘25

The Reese’s Take 5 Bar is a chocolate bar with 5 different layers composed of smooth peanut butter, peanuts, caramel, and pretzels, all covered in chocolate. Internationally, it was originally called Take 5 or Max 5. The Take 5, though popular and highly rated, was discontinued in 2019 because it was heavily underperforming due to poor branding. However, instead of stopping production on Take 5, Hershey handed it over to one of its subsidiaries, Reese’s.

Almond Joy: Grace Salmon ‘27 and Leah Pessin ‘27

“Sometimes you feel like a nut…sometimes you don’t” is the iconic slogan for the beloved Mounds and Almond Joy candy. The Peter Paul Candy Manufacturing Company, now part of the Hershey Company, released the Almond Joy in 1948, after the bestselling Mounds candy, which came out in 1922. Mounds are coated in dark chocolate and lack the iconic double-toasted almond that the Almond Joy contains. The Almond Joy was created as a replacement for the Dream bar, a variation of Mounds with slivered almonds instead of a whole almond. The Almond Joy was produced in Naugatuck, Connecticut, until 2007, when it was moved to Virginia.

Twix: Alice Zhang ‘25 and Anna Masino ‘27

Did you know that there are two different types of Twix? Two brothers, Earl and Seamus, decided to create the best chocolate caramel cookie bar. They couldn’t agree on the techniques, from chocolate-pouring to caramel consistency, so they decided to split the company. Eventually, they became Left Twix and Right Twix — now with the same recipe. The name of Twix is also fun – it’s the portmanteau of “twin sticks”!

Starburst: Cole Semel ‘25 and Khalea Robinson ‘25

Starburst candies were originally created in 1960, and they were first introduced to the U.K. The original flavors were strawberry, lemon, orange, and lime. The candy was not always called “Starburst”; however, Mars held a contest to name the candy shortly after its release. The original name came from British copywriter Peter Pfeffer, who suggested the candy be called Opal Fruits. After 7 years of sales in the U.K., the candy was introduced in the United States, and the name was changed to Starburst for simplicity; in 1998, Mars changed the name in the U.K. to keep up with the global marketplace, despite protests by the British public. The flavors were changed to include cherry and discontinued lime, while the other three original flavors remained the same. Since strawberry has been the most popular, in 2017, Starburst released an all-pink package to appease fans. The brand has also introduced tropical flavors such as kiwi, banana, and guava in some of its several special Starburst packages, which include Starburst Jellybeans and flavored candy canes for the holidays.

Nerds: Joely Kaplan ‘28 and Maddie Orr ‘28

Nerds was created in 1983 and was originally produced by Sunmark Corporation under the name Willy Wonka Candy Company, using the success of the movie to gain sales of the candy. It was started by David Klein and his wife, Judy. There are a few ideas for how the name came to be, but the two most sensible ideas are that it was based on Kellogg’s cereal or on a Dr. Seuss book. In 2018, Nerds became part of Ferrara Candy Company. There are many different forms of Nerds, like Nerds Ropes, which were added to the lineup in 2001, and Nerds Gummy Clusters, which became popular in 2021. Nerds have been popular for a long time, as the National Candy Wholesalers Association named Nerds the Candy of the Year in 1985. Nerds’ worth has skyrocketed from net sales of $50 million to $500 million since the Nerds Super Bowl commercial at Super Bowl LVIII.

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About the Contributors

Sam Goldwert, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Sam Goldwert is an Editor-in-Chief of The Falcon and a proud member of the 14-year club at Friends Select School. Sam is the Lead Critic of the 2024-2025 Cappies team, a participant in every FSS Theatre production, a diversity clerk, and a member of QSU. When not doing any of these things, Sam can be found committing to yet another project or playing The Sims.

Sophia Le, Director of Design

Sophia Le is the Director of Design on The Falcon. She is a senior and a co-leader of the Asian Student Union, Diversity Clerks, and Quake. She loves walking around the city and listening to music!

Alice Zhang

Alice Zhang is a member of the journalism class. She is a senior and has been at Friends Select since 2021. Alice is the co-leader and co-editor of The Cauldron, the school’s writing club, and she is also a member of the Asian Student Union. She enjoys ice skating outside of school.

Cole Semel

Cole Semel, Captain of the Varsity Baseball Team, has been at Friends Select since 2012. He will be contributing photography and sports writing for The Falcon. He is a leader of Jewish Student Union and a senior Class Officer. He is going to play college baseball at Emerson College.

Khalea Robinson, Social Media Manager

Khalea Robinson is a senior at Friends Select and is a writer and the Social Media Manager for The Falcon! She’s a captain of the Varsity Field Hockey team and plays guitar in the school band. Khalea's favorite subjects are English and Digital Art. If you would like something posted on The Falcon Instagram, please contact Khalea!